City of Heroes is a Sci-Fi MMORPG released on April 28, 2004. The game was developed by Cryptic Studios and Paragon Studios and it was published by NCsoft, being available only on PC. This page will help you choose an Archetype when creating your character and understand the game’s interface. The action takes place in Paragon City, a city threatened by villains, aliens and other supernatural terrors. The player has the chance to choose on which side he would like to play: good or bad. He will fight against other superheroes, create a unique character and level up by completing quests and killing monsters. City of Heroes received many awards since it was launched, back in 2004 including:

• Massively.com: Most Improved Game of 2008
• Computer Gaming World: MMORPG Game of the Year 2004
• Spike TV 2004 Video Game Awards: MMORPG Game of the Year
• GameSpy: Game of the Month - May 2004 and Editor's Choice - May 2004
• Billboard 2004 Digital Entertainment Conference & Awards: PC or Console Game of the Year and Multiplayer Game of the Year
• Wargamer: Award for Excellence
• Games Magazine: Game of the Year 2004
• Computer Games Magazine: Editor’s Choice - August 2004 Issue
• Computer Gaming World: Editor's Choice - August 2004
• Game Informer: PC Game of the Month - July 2004 Issue and many more.

In City of Heroes you can access five Hero Archetypes. They are available if you intend to play on the good side of the game. http://eu.cityofheroes.com/en/game_guide/archetypes/hero_archetypes/ Based on their abilities and skills you can choose from:

• Blaster: - it is a ranged hero capable to inflict impressive damage from distance, but if it is attacked by a melee enemy he will be an easy target. His main role in a party is as a support unit, with high damage but low health. If you like to play with a character that fires from distance this might be a good choice for you, but be aware because soloing enemies it’s easy only when you start the game. Fighting enemies later, when they are high-leveled, might require a party.

• Controller: - is the Archetype with the lowest health in the game. But, the Controller has the most powerful skills, being able to freeze his enemies, paralyze them and so on. In order to use those skills he has to be protected by other team-mates. He is also capable to heal or resurrect friendly targets. Playing the game with this Archetype can be difficult if you are not sustained by friends, but you will always be welcomed in a party if you are a Controller.

• Defender: - is also a ranged Archetype but with buff powers. A Defender is also able to sustain a party with attacks from distance, but it must be protected. If you played other MMORPG’s you can compare it with a mage. In a solo fight the Defender can easily win, therefore this should be your choice if you are playing this game for the first time.

• Scrapper: - has the biggest damage but his resilience is medium. It is a closed range melee Archetype that has a great chance to inflict critical strikes, but if overwhelmed by enemies, it can easily fall. If you like the rogue’s style from other MMORPGS, this is the Archetype for you…where justice is made with your fists. In a party if a tank is present (as it should be), a Scrapper is always welcomed.

• Tanker: - just like his name says, this is the Archetype you should pick if you like to be a tank. Capable to absorb damage, unlike any others, it will always be the center of a party, because without him everyone will fail. You should choose it if you enjoy receiving hits, but playing solo can take a while, because your damage is not as bigger as your defense.

City of Heroes also features a dark side. Villain Archetypes are available if you want to be the bad guy in the game. There are 5 types of Villains: http://eu.cityofheroes.com/en/game_guide/archetypes/villain_archetypes/

• Brute: - is an Archetype with high damage and defense and it is expert in closed range combats. It is vulnerable against attacks from distance but if a Brute engages another character in a melee fight, it is almost impossible for his target to escape alive.

• Stalker: - is a trained assassin able to hide and hit from the shadow. His defense is lower than a Brute, but his damage is much higher. These skills will make him a perfect choice for a beginner. In a solo fight, a Stalker can damage his target with fast and devastating attacks. His secondary skill is defense.

• Mastermind: – it is a complex Archetype capable to summon allies to help him defeat his enemies. You can summon ninjas, zombies and more. You can also order them what they should do and what stance should they adopt: Passive, Aggressive or Defensive. This skill and others, make the Mastermind one of the most powerful Archetype in City of Heroes.

• Dominator: – has medium damage, however his main skill is to control his targets and make them act against their will. This makes a Dominator a powerful ally in a party and an easy Archetype to use at lower levels. But when you reach higher levels, you need help to successfully defeat your targets.

• Corruptor: – can inflict high damage from distance and can buff friendly targets. In a closed combat they usually loose and using this Archetype to solo enemies can be difficult. However, if you make a team with a Brute, you can defeat almost every enemy.

City of Heroes has an interface similar to other MMORPG's. After you join the game, your screen will display:

• The Compass: – located in the at the top center side of the screen, and will display your position, a list with the objectives and clues you found, the zone map and a list with your contacts.

• The Target: – will show up on the top right section of the interface, once you have selected your target. You will be able to find its health, endurance and its level.

• Character Stats: – are displayed in the top right corner of the screen. There are 3 bars that will show you: your health (green), endurance (blue) and your experience (purple). When you gain experience by completing quests or killing monsters, your bar will fill. You will gain a new level once the bar is full. In the same area you will find buttons that will allow you to hide some of the other windows from the interface (Chat Window, Target Section, etc…)

• Power Tray: – is located in the right bottom section of the interface and it will let you have quick access to your character’s special powers. During a fight you can also access them by pressing the number keys (1-9) from your keyboard. A secondary section can be added, but each of them has 10 slots.

• Chat Window: – is located on the bottom left side of your screen and shows every message you receive during the game, as well as combat reports. From the same section you can chat with your friends. http://eu.cityofheroes.com/en/game_guide/archetypes/villain_archetypes/